US Open: Victoria Azarenka vs. Jasmine Paolini 9/1/21 Tennis Prediction

Victoria Azarenka (18) of Belarus will face the unseeded Italian Jasmine Paolini in the Second Round of the 2021 US Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Wednesday September 1st, 2021 at approximately 12:15pm EST.

Victoria Azarenka had a dream run to the Final here last year in New York, and will be hoping that can happen again in 2021. She has not been in great form lately but as is the case with many experienced players she brings her best at the big events, and will be a force to be reckoned with here. She will face the unfancied Jasmine Paolini for a spot in the Third Round here, a match where she is the big favorite. Can the Italian cause the shocking upset?

Victoria Azarenka is the eighteenth seed here at the 2021 US Open and is currently ranked #19 in the WTA world rankings. Since her run to the Final last year she has been largely disappointing, seeing her ranking slide as a result. Additionally, there is a major risk that her ranking will again drop massively if she fails to defend her points earned last year so she will be highly motivated here. She defeated Tereza Martincova in the First Round 6-4. 6-0 after being down 4-2 in the first set. While she will be happy with that result she knows that she will have to improve if she is to challenge Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka etc for the title here. She is the big favorite here against Jessica Paolini and is expected to cruise here.

Jasmine Paolini is ranked #99 on the WTA Tour and is unseeded here at the 2021 US Open. The Italian has been having a very inconsistent season in 2021, winning her first WTA title in Bol earlier in the year but otherwise struggling throughout the other events. She was dominant in her opening round win over Yara Shvedova, controlling the match from the baseline and breaking her opponent regularly. However, she struggled with her own serve at times, something that Azarenka will surely exploit. She is the big underdog here against her experienced opponent Victoria Azarenka as she lacks the firepower needed to truly test the top players. If she plays well she is certainly in with a chance but it is highly unlikely that she has what it takes to trouble the former world number one.

This is the first time that the two ladies are meeting on the WTA Tour and I think that the only likely outcome is a straight-sets win for Victoria Azarenka. Jasmine Paolini is a talented player but is much better suited for and comfortable on clay, and it is not likely that she has what it takes to challenge Azarenka for long periods of time. Victoria Azarenka is one of the most experienced players in the world and while she hasn’t been at her best she will rise to the occasion when it matters most, and will step up here. The Belarusian has an outside shot at winning the title and I am expecting her to dominate this match from start to finish, advancing to the Third Round here at the 2021 US Open.